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05-10-2015, 12:42 AM
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/05/09/two-hattiesburg-police-officers-killed/27072893/
Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger that two Hattiesburg police officers have died after being shot in the line of duty Saturday night.
They were taken to Forrest General Hospital, where they were confirmed dead. At least one officer was still alive when he arrived at the hospital.
Authorities have not released the names of the officers. Benedict said he is working to locate family members.
Law enforcement authorities are looking for Curtis and Marvin Banks as suspects. Both men are Hattiesburg residents.
Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree said is asking residents to remain at home and inside while authorities search for the suspect.
"The men and women who go out every day to protect us, the men and woman who go out every day to make sure that we're safe, they were turned on (Saturday) night," DuPree said during a brief news conference outside the hospital. "But the person or persons who did this are not safe in the City of Hattiesburg."
Multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed to the scene between Gordon Street and East Fourth Street, crisscrossing throughout the fringes of downtown.
The shooting occurred near East Fourth and Bouie streets around 8 p.m. The officers were reportedly on a routine traffic stop when the shooting took place.
Hattiesburg residents Tamika Mills and Pearnell Roberts discovered the two officers who had been shot. The pair got out to check on the officers and called 9-1-1.
"Never in my life have I experienced or seen anything like this expect on TV and to be in the midst of it, it's shocking and heartbreaking," Mills said. "As we were coming down Fourth Street, we noticed a bunch of lights. As we came on through, (Roberts) told me to turn around because she saw somebody laying on the ground.
"So I backed up. That's when we noticed the officer was down. We just saw that one, but in the course of me being on the phone with 9-1-1, I turned and I saw another officer across the street rolling on the ground. (Roberts) ran across the street to check on him. He wasn't all the way alert but he asked her, 'Am I dying? I know I'm dying. Just hand me my walkie-talkie.'"
Law enforcement officials are still looking for the shooter. Officials believe at least one suspect took an officer's car, which has been found abandoned on Gordon Street near the old train depot.
Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger that two Hattiesburg police officers have died after being shot in the line of duty Saturday night.
They were taken to Forrest General Hospital, where they were confirmed dead. At least one officer was still alive when he arrived at the hospital.
Authorities have not released the names of the officers. Benedict said he is working to locate family members.
Law enforcement authorities are looking for Curtis and Marvin Banks as suspects. Both men are Hattiesburg residents.
Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree said is asking residents to remain at home and inside while authorities search for the suspect.
"The men and women who go out every day to protect us, the men and woman who go out every day to make sure that we're safe, they were turned on (Saturday) night," DuPree said during a brief news conference outside the hospital. "But the person or persons who did this are not safe in the City of Hattiesburg."
Multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed to the scene between Gordon Street and East Fourth Street, crisscrossing throughout the fringes of downtown.
The shooting occurred near East Fourth and Bouie streets around 8 p.m. The officers were reportedly on a routine traffic stop when the shooting took place.
Hattiesburg residents Tamika Mills and Pearnell Roberts discovered the two officers who had been shot. The pair got out to check on the officers and called 9-1-1.
"Never in my life have I experienced or seen anything like this expect on TV and to be in the midst of it, it's shocking and heartbreaking," Mills said. "As we were coming down Fourth Street, we noticed a bunch of lights. As we came on through, (Roberts) told me to turn around because she saw somebody laying on the ground.
"So I backed up. That's when we noticed the officer was down. We just saw that one, but in the course of me being on the phone with 9-1-1, I turned and I saw another officer across the street rolling on the ground. (Roberts) ran across the street to check on him. He wasn't all the way alert but he asked her, 'Am I dying? I know I'm dying. Just hand me my walkie-talkie.'"
Law enforcement officials are still looking for the shooter. Officials believe at least one suspect took an officer's car, which has been found abandoned on Gordon Street near the old train depot.